1 Week!

Today is exactly 1 week until my second half marathon and the amazing confidence I had 2 weeks ago has completely diminished. After a great PR at the RUN10FEED10 10K last weekend (recap will go up soon, I promise!), I realized I injured my foot. Then due to work commitments I missed a significant amount of workouts. Read: I did yoga on Monday and boot camp yesterday. Hopefully I got my 6 miles in before I went apple picking this morning. 

While I don't feel very confident in my running I do anticipate having a good time despite how girly the race. I did hear some not great things from the Diva's event in DC so I hope they got their shit together. I recruited my dad to come with me since my Long Island friends aren't really runners. He informed me he will be bringing his camera so look out for embarrassing running photos!

Hopefully if I get a few great workouts in this week I will wake up Sunday ready to go. I've already planned everything I want to eat on Saturday so I can't back out now. Have I mentioned that the day before a half is one of my favorite food days like ever? Here is a sneak peek at some of my RUN10FEED10 photos!

[Post MAJOR PR!]

[The stage area]

[Where I got stretched out]

[Unlimited mimosas for brunch!]

How to you regain confidence before a race? Did you go into a race not very confident but end up doing well?

Xo,
Lynette

Training is Essentially Over!

Since I have a 10K next weekend that I have high hopes for PR'ing in, I did my last long run before my half on October 6 yesterday. This training cycle was a bit more successful than when I was training for DC. No IT band problems (I even forgot to wear my band for yesterdays 10-miler and was fine!), no severe stomach pains from taking pain killers before a run and lots of new fueling ideas.

[Source]

If you didn't know, I've also spend the past week super sick. The doctors never know what's wrong so I've been trying to fight it off on my own. Coming off of an amazing 9.5 miles last week, I was pretty bummed at how this weekend might turn out. I was pleasantly surprised!

On Thursday I got some sprints done on the treadmill and on Saturday I did some of my runners boot camp to try and keep up with training even though breathing was just not happening. I had planned on getting the 10 miles in on Satuday before I went to breakfast but due to no sleep I postponed until Sunday.. 

I woke up and fueled as usual and decided to go at a slow pace. I got a few miles done in my neighborhood before heading out on the main road. I felt pretty good and was keeping a sub-10 pace. And my nose cleared up so I was breathing easy!

[Source]

Mile 6 was just over 10 minutes mainly because I didn't realize I was already there. I finished up a little before my destination and walked up to where I was going to stretch and wait for my ride. As soon as I stopped though, my nose was stuffed and I could barely breath again. 

Afterwards I rewarded myself with an egg sandwich and my first pair of compression socks! My legs felt a bit tight after so I was hoping they would aid in recovery. 

Now I'm getting ready for the RUN10FEED10 race next weekend and hoping to have speedy legs!

Do you run when your sick? What do you use compression socks for?

Xo,
Lynette

Another Liebster Award

Alyson over at Cake Sweat nominated me for a Liebster Award last week and I am just getting around to doing it now. She found me through SweatPink which we are both a part of! I got one a few months ago and one of my favorite parts is answering the questions!

Rules according to Alyson:

1. Acknowledge the nominating blogger.

2. Share 11 random facts about yourself.

3. Answer 11 questions the nominating blogger has created for you.

4. List 11 bloggers who have less than 200 followers. 

5. Post 11 questions for the bloggers that you nominated to answer.

6. Let all of the bloggers know that they've been nominated. You also cannot nominate the blogger that nominated you.

So here we go. 11 random facts you might not know about me:

1. I love country music even though I grew up listening to HOT97.

2. This is the first summer I barely went out to Montauk and that makes me really sad (although it is gorgeous in the fall).

3.  I cook really well and love trying out new recipes.

4. I was on TV last December on national news outlets and was featured recently on LearnVest.

5. I don't always eat as healthy as many think/I should.

6. I rarely go out and cannot be classified as a party girl anymore.

7. I'd give anything to get rid of my iPhone and get my Blackberry back.

8. I've spent more money on clothes in the recent weeks I should have.

9. I fully intend to have my Pilates certification completed and School Of Integrative Nutrition certificate by the time I'm 30. 

10. My defense mechanisms sometimes ruin things.

11. I am really excited to see what is in store for me for the rest of this year.

Now, questions from Cake Sweat:

1. What is one goal for the fall that you hope to accomplish?

Secure an amazing placement for each of my clients. 

2. What is your favorite type of physical activity?

I obviously love to run but I'm also big on yoga and spin. 

3. What is your idea of the perfect summer day?

Wake up and workout, shower, hit the beach, shower again, go out to dinner on the water then head back to the beach for a bonfire. 

4. If you were writing an autobiography, what would the title be?

Naturally Life's Better In Yoga Pants. 

5. What’s your favorite blog to read?

I don't religiously read many due to time (sorry friends I do try though), but I try and keep up with my friend Jen's travel adventures at Jen's Best Life. 

6. Describe the last picture you took on Instagram (or in general if you don’t have an account).

It was a sports bra I received from Kohls for breast cancer awareness month. Check it out- my name is Peppa05.

7. What made you start your blog?

I wanted to write about having a healthy lifestyle while still having a life. Especially for those who are pressed on time such as myself. 

8. What is one piece of advice you can offer someone who would like to start and/or maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Don't take anything so seriously. Eat the damn cookie. 

9. Cake or ice cream?

Cookie dough ice cream cake from Coldstone :)

10. Who is your biggest motivator and why?

My sister- she seems to adore me. 

11. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

In 5 years I hope to still be doing PR and running. Where? Who knows. I'm very excited to see where I end up!

11 Blogs I'm Nominating:

1. Keep it SimpELLE
2. Gracious Warrior Princess
3. Dare 2 Dream Dare 2 Do
4. JustUs4Carters
5. The Beginners Runner 
6. Eat Host Run Style
7. In Healthy Habits We Trust
8. Life, Fitness and Me
9. Chasing Pavement
10. Sneakers Bananas and Spears
11. Heavy to Healthy Girl

And their questions:

1. What is your favorite thing to do in the fall?

2. If you could go anywhere for a weekend getaway, where would you go?

3. Favorite workout?

4. What feature do you absolutely love about yourself?

5. What is your biggest health/fitness/wellness accomplishment from this year?

6. Who do you talk to everyday?

7. How long have you been blogging for?

8. Do you prefer to get your nails done or do them at home?

9. What is your favorite short term goal for 2013?

10. What is something you cannot live without?

11. Morning person or night person?

Xo,

Lynette

Thursday Three: September Things

It's finally almost fall and here are 3 things I'm looking forward to in September:

[Fall boots! Source]

[Races! Source]

[Cozy Sweaters! Source]

What are you looking forward to this September?

Xo,

Lynette

Chick Pea Cookies

One night a few weekends ago I got a serious craving for cookies but unfortunately we had no eggs or milk.So what's a girl to do? Obviously search for a recipe that requires neither. One recurring recipe was one that used chick peas.It was really called "Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites" in case you were wondering. Although I probably won't make them again, they did their job at the time. If you've never used chick peas to make cookies I recommend you try it at least once. 

Here's what you'll need for 14 cookies/bites (I cut the ingredients in half because I didn't need 14 cookies):

Receipt courtesy of the Houston Chronicle

[I ended up not using the flax seeds]

1¼ cups chickpeas rinsed and drained

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (I used regular Skippy)

¼ cup honey

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ cup chocolate chips (I also added some peanut butter chips)

Before you start, pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees. 

First, put the rinsed and drained chickpeas ar food processor and pulse until well ground. I don't have a food processor so I used a Magic Bullet.  

Then add the remaining ingredients minus the chocolate chips and blend until smooth. Make sure you scrape down the sides of the food processor a few times to make sure you get all of the chickpeas mixed, Then, stir in the chocolate chips.

Next is pretty basic. Roll the cookie dough into 1½-inch balls with wet hands and place on cookie sheet. I also used a fork as I would with regular cookies to push them down. 

Lastly, bake for 10 minutes (do not go over) then cool and serve.

Even though they weren't amazing, it was cool to use just those ingredients and have cookies be the product.

Have you ever used chickpeas to make cookies? What did you think?

Xo,

Lynette

Half Marathon Training Winds Down

Can you believe it's September already? Me neither! No only does it mean nice cool weather, but my fall half marathon is rapidly approaching! After 2 terrible weekends of long runs, my faith in this race got restored yesterday. 

[I'd like this shirt! Source]

I got some sleep, fueled with a regular waffle, peanut butter and half of a banana and then took off. The first half mile I was nervous that I was going to feel burnt out but I didn't. I got on the main road and started my trek. I would have been happy with anything over 8 miles. 

Not once did I feel like I couldn't do it or that I wanted to quit. A big change from what I have been feeling. Even on run club last Wednesday I was slower than usual. Not yesterday though. 

[Run club!]

I got 9.5 sub-9:50 miles in and they were glorious. I didn't make it to 10 because I needed to catch a train back to my house (which I had to sprint for!). I'm pretty sure the 8th mile came in at 9:13. 

As of right now, I'm really looking forward to the half in October. In 2 weeks I will be going for my 10K PR at the Run10FEED10 event. 

[2012 RUN10FEED10]

How's your training going? How did you deal with setbacks?

Xo,
Lynette

Uplifted Long After Surgery

[Old photo]

This is a short post but I had to share. I went back to Uplift Studios for the last weekend of their happy hour specials. If you remember, the last time I look a class here was right after I had surgery on my neck and I thought it was the hardest thing ever. That's what you get for taking a cardio class after 2 weeks of no workouts right?

Since Kat came to meet me for coffee and carbs on Sunday and I had a new abundance of free time, I thought why not. Same as in May, her Uplifting Cardio class was awesome and I was able to keep up and do more this time!

My burpees are getting better and I completed 95% of the arm work. If you've read previous posts, you might know that's an area I tend to avoid/forget/never prioritize. What I love about this class is she never repeats moves. Each song is something different until the last one were she recaps all the moves we've done. 

[Just so there's some photos!]

I also spent a lot of time checking myself out in the mirror  Not because I looked super sexy, but so I could focus on my form. I've noticed during yoga I haven't been paying close attention to the placement of my feet, knees, elbows and such. I want to make sure my form is correct so I don't get injured and I work my muscles to their fullest extent. 

Kat also decided to give me a little shout out at the end of class which led some new people to my blog. I also met a new friend Evann after class. Check her out here. We bonded over our love for fitness blogs and studio classes. I really look forward to getting to know her better and hopefully take some classes together. She also suggested I check out Classtivity. 

That's the end of my post. I survived another post-surgery Uplift class and was so proud I could keep up this time I had to share :)

Xo,
Lynette

The UWS's Newest Hot Spot

What are you doing this week or next weekend? Obviously going to the Upper West Side's most delicious new restaurant. The Social House opened last weekend and I got to attend a sneak peek a few days beforehand! Full disclosure: The person opening this restaurant may or may not be married to my boss :)

The interior is absolutely stunning. Check out the gorgeous overhead lights and table settings. The dim lighting gives it a nice, romantic touch perfect for date night. In the midst of frat-like bars it's nice to have a more upscale option. 

Since this was a tasting me and my co-workers got to order whatever our little hearts desired which translated to let's try a little bit of everything.

Drinks came first where most of us ordered The Knickerbocker. Although it is pink, it was strong!

From the small plates we ordered the Figs on Horseback, Peel and Eat Shrimp with Cilantro Aioli and Striped Bass Ceviche with Blue Corn Chips and Avocado Mousse. 

In addition to the small plates and before our main meals we got the Roasted Wild Mushroom, Grilled Kale and Smoked Goat Cheese flat-bread along with triple cooked fries.

Everything was so tasty and gone within 5 minutes of being on the table. Hence no photos!

For entrees it was a split between the Garlic & Rosemary Brick Chicken with Preserved Lemon and Roasted Hangar Steak with Chimmichurri Sauce. Amazing. The portions were just right. Actually according to others there was a lot of chicken but I may or may not have inhaled it all. I do hope to get back soon and test out the other options. 

When we were done eating I got up to check out the bar area which had high-top tables for dinner or drinks. 

If you find yourself on the UWS on Amsterdam between 81st and 82nd, I highly recommend checking it out. Brand new, amazing chef, delicious drinks. What more could you ask for?

Xo,

Lynette

The Social House

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It Only Takes...

For the past 9 days I have been dog sitting the cutie below on the Upper East Side and since I'm used to commuting for at least 4 hours a day I found myself with a little bit too much time. Which I in return used to think. What a terrible idea!

I've come to the conclusion, after spending my Friday night bar hopping with 40-year-old men (I befriend people on the street too easily), that it really only takes 1 person to influence my mind (or yours). 

[This is actually where I ate dinner, pre meeting the 40 year old man]

All it took was this stranger to remind me how great I really am (and that I haven't been on a date in long time but that's a story I'd love to tell you over drinks) and that I'm still spontaneous and cute. Although no matter how many times you ask me why I don't have a boyfriend or am not dating I will never have an answer. Joe, I think that was his name, had me completely convinced by the end of the night before I walked home that anyone would be lucky to have me. 

[Watermelon margarita from dinner]

My sister reminded me that several shitty training runs are not going to destroy by 10K or half marathon PR's. I still beg to differ. She's apparently psychic too because she told me they were probably bad because I was tired and it has been hot in the city (she's in Cortland). I may or may not believe her. But next weekend this theory will be put to the test after I get home tomorrow and get some serious sleep!

Scooter is the cutie above and below who has been my hot date for the past week. I have NEVER had someone so excited to see me when I get home from work at night. With that said, I will also NEVER be getting a pet. I loved taking care of Scoots but puppies are a lot of work. More so the walking them part. I will be glad to watch your pets while you are on vacation though. 

Last weekend I also got to relive a little bit of my party girl lifestyle. If I said I didn't have a blast I'd be completely lying. Getting out of the house, drinking and dancing is healthy for you. Trust me. Sometimes you need to go out with friends and not give a shit about anything and go for what you want. Even when you get shut down. Also, just because I am a country girl does not mean I forgot how to dance ;)

The point of this post? That all it took was 1 person in different aspects of my life to influence what I thought of myself, which is not necessarily a good thing. But you do truly learn something from everyone you meet, whether it's positive or negative. Take away from this week? I'm a pretty great girl to have around, 2 bad runs will not destroy a race that is still 5 weeks away and I still have baby fever but never want a dog. 

Xo,
Lynette

Ps. I know lots of random pictures in this one